Show Notes
I don't have a huge number of pics of aquatic spiders - in part because some of the coolest ones are in locales where I have yet to travel. But here is what I've got: Dock spiders - Genus Dolomedes - these guys are great, big and super creepy. There is something about swimming in a local pond and seeing these guys on the shore ready to shoot out where you are to get their prey. You'll see them on structures around streams - even on logs a bit off the stream. Or, my personal favorite, is on the underside of very low bridges, when you are canoeing under them, and you have to lay on your back and watch them pass over you inches from your nose and body.
This is actually a nice picture as you can see how he is resting his front legs on the surface of the water feeling for vibrations. Once they determine something is stuck in the surface tension, they scoot out and grab it. Here's another fishing spider. On this one note the 8 legs. You'll then see two extra appendages coming off the front. In this picture those are not the jaws (or chelicerae) but the pedipalps. Pedipalps are other appendages that are used in the males as a sperm transfer organ during reproduction.
Here is a nice example of a Tetragnathidae or long jawed spider. As I said in the podcast, these guys are common along the sides of trout streams, they make those orb webs, and they catch and eat the same kinds of critters that trout eat. Dig those big chelicerae coming off the front end.
That's it - hope you enjoyed the episode.
More from Angler's Entomology Podcast
A discussion of metamorphosis - focusing on simple metamorphosis as it relates to mayflies, stoneflies, and damsel and dragonflies. And of course rambles about the nature of change. I hope you enjoy.
Hey Everyone, Here are the pictures and patterns that are relevant to Part 1 on of metamorphosis - focusing in incomplete metamorphosis and the critters that do that. (Primarily mayflies, stoneflies and dragon and damselflies). First, though, as promised in the podcast, here is what a silverfish looks like. A little worse for wear - he's (or she) has been pickled for 8 years, so it's lost a lot of its color. Normally, they are a very silver color - hence the name. In some ways you may say this looks a little like a mayfly nymph. In real life, looking at them, you would not mistake them as being different.
Hey everyone. I hope you enjoy today's episode on black quills. I have some nice pics and patterns on the blog, so check that out too. Email me ([email protected]) if you want a guided entomology/fishing trip and get your loot at Selene's Fly Shop.
Hey everyone. Here is my blog post for Episode 54: Pics and Patterns for Black Quills. First let's take a look at the nymph. Here is a nice black quill nymph with a scale in centimeters. It is hard to see, but note the length of the antennae and the nice dark wing cases. That suggests he (or she) is likely to hatch soon. (Well, if he (or she) wasn't pickled in alcohol since 2003). Also fyi, this one was collected in a pond - which make sense, they migrate from moving water to still water to hatch. In contrast, the next specimen was collected in a stream, and you'll note the lack of developed wing pads (noting it was also collected earlier in the season).
Hey folks, hope you all enjoy part 2 of our discussion about how insects reproduce. Lots of wild stuff in this. And check out the blog - I added lots of cool pictures that are relevant to both episode 51 and 53. Enjoy!